Nation pays tribute to Indira Gandhi on her 90th birth anniversary

New Delhi, Nov.19 (ANI): Indian leaders paid rich tribute to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 90th birth anniversary across the country on Monday. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi paid floral tributes to the late leader at her Shakti Sthal Memorial. Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Delhi Lt Governor Tejinder Khanna and Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit were among other Congress leaders and ministers, who paid their respects to the country’s first female Prime Minister. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi also offered floral tributes to his grandmother. Noted artiste Bhajan Sopori played the santoor on the occasion. Indira Gandhi was born in Allahabad in 1917 and was the only child of Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister and Kamala Nehru. She was the recipient of India’s highest civil award, Bharat Ratna. Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 to 1984. She was elected to Parliament for the first time in 1964 and also served as the country’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting in the government of Lal Bahadur Shastri. She is noted for declaring a state of emergency after a court struck down her election in 1975, and also for her handling of the ‘Operation Blue Star’ against Sikh militants. Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards at her residence on October 31, 1984. (ANI)